-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An atheist sign criticizing Christianity that was erected alongside a Nativity scene was taken from the Legislative Building in Olympia , Washington , on Friday and later found in a ditch .

The Freedom from Religion Foundation had a placard up in the Legislative Building in Olympia , Washington .

An employee from country radio station KMPS-FM in Seattle told CNN the sign was dropped off at the station by someone who found it in a ditch .

`` I thought it would be safe , '' Freedom From Religion Foundation co-founder Annie Laurie Gaylor told CNN earlier Friday . `` It 's always a shock when your sign is censored or stolen or mutilated . It 's not something you get used to . ''

The sign , which celebrates the winter solstice , has had some residents and Christian organizations calling atheists Scrooges because they said it was attacking the celebration of Jesus Christ 's birth .

`` Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds , '' the sign from the Freedom From Religion Foundation says in part .

The sign , which was at the Legislative Building at 6:30 a.m. PT , was gone by 7:30 a.m. , Gaylor said .

The incident will not stifle the group 's message , Gaylor said . Before reports of the placard 's recovery , she said a temporary sign with the same message would be placed in the building 's Rotunda . Gaylor said a note would be attached saying , `` Thou shalt not steal . ''

`` I guess they do n't follow their own commandments , '' Gaylor said . `` There 's nothing out there with the atheist point of view , and now there is such a firestorm that we have the audacity to exist . And then -LSB- whoever took the sign -RSB- stifles our speech . ''

Gaylor said that police are checking security cameras pointed at the building 's entrances and exits to see if they can see anyone stealing the sign .

`` It 's probably about 50 pounds , '' Gaylor said . `` My brother-in-law was huffing and puffing carrying it up the stairs . It 's definitely not something you can stick under your arm or conceal . ''

The Washington State Patrol , which is handling the incident , could not be reached for comment .

Dan Barker , a former evangelical preacher and co-founder of the group , said it was important for atheists to see their viewpoints validated alongside everyone else 's .

Barker said the display is especially important given that 25 percent of Washington state residents are unaffiliated with religion or do not believe in God . -LRB- A recent survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found 23 percent of Washingtonians said they were unaffiliated with a religion and 7 percent said they did n't believe in God . -RRB-

`` It 's not that we are trying to coerce anyone ; in a way our sign is a signal of protest , '' Barker said . `` If there can be a Nativity scene saying that we are all going to hell if we do n't bow down to Jesus , we should be at the table to share our views . ''

He said if anything , it 's the Nativity scene that is the intrusion .

`` Most people think December is for Christians and view our signs as an intrusion , when actually it 's the other way around , '' he said . `` People have been celebrating the winter solstice long before Christmas . We see Christianity as the intruder , trying to steal the holiday from all of us humans . ''

The scene in Washington state is not unfamiliar . Barker has had signs in Madison , Wisconsin , for 13 years . The placard is often turned around so the message ca n't be seen , and one year , someone threw acid on it , forcing the group to encase it in Plexiglas .

In Washington , D.C. , the American Humanist Association began a bus ad campaign this month questioning belief in God .

`` Why believe in a God ? '' the advertisement asks . `` Just be good for goodness sake . ''

That ad has caused the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority to field hundreds of complaints , the group said , but it has heard just as much positive feedback , said Fred Edwords , the association 's spokesman .

Edwords said the ad campaign , which features a shrugging Santa Claus , was not meant to attack Christmas but rather to reach out to an untapped audience .

Edwords maintains the campaign began in December mostly because the group had extra money left over for the year . The connection to Christmas is a coincidence , he said .

`` There are a lot of people out there who do n't know there are organizations like ours to serve their needs , '' Edwords said . `` The thing is , to reach a minority group , in order to be heard , everyone in the room has to hear you , even when they do n't want to . ''

The ad campaign , Edwords said , is to make people think . He said he does n't expect to `` convert '' anyone .

But the Christian Coalition of America is urging members to oppose the advertisements .

`` Although a number of humanists and atheists continue to attempt to rid God and Christmas from the public square , the American people are overwhelmingly opposed to such efforts , '' Roberta Combs , the group 's president said in a press release .

`` We will ask our millions of supporters to call the city of Washington , D.C. , and Congress to stop this un-Godly campaign . ''

As far as the criticism goes , Edwords said there are far more controversial placards in Washington .

`` That 's D.C. -- this is a political center , '' he said . `` If I can see a placard with dead fetuses on it , I think someone can look at our question and just think about it . ''

The anger over the display in Olympia began after it was assembled Monday . The sentiment grew after some national media personalities called upon viewers to flood the phone lines of the governor 's office .

The governor 's office told The Seattle Times it received more than 200 calls an hour afterward .

`` I happen to be a Christian , and I do n't agree with the display that is up there , '' Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire told The Olympian newspaper . `` But that does n't mean that as governor , I have the right to deny their ability to express their free speech . ''

For some , the issue is n't even that the atheists are putting their thoughts on display , but rather the way in which they are doing it .

`` They are shooting themselves in the foot , '' said iReport contributor Rich Phillips , who describes himself as an atheist . `` Everyone 's out there for the holidays , trying to represent their religion , their beliefs , and it 's a time to be positive . ''

The atheist message was never intended to attack anyone , Barker said .

`` When people ask us , ` Why are you hateful ? Why are you putting up something critical of people 's holidays ? -- we respond that we kind of feel that the Christian message is the hate message , '' he said . `` On that Nativity scene , there is this threat of internal violence if we do n't submit to that master . Hate speech goes both ways . ''

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NEW : Placard from Washington state Capitol found in a ditch , radio station says

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Atheists ' place placard was next to Nativity scene in Olympia , Washington , building

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Sign calls religion a myth that `` hardens hearts and enslaves minds ''

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Some residents , Christian groups say atheists attacking celebration of Jesus ' birth